William Golding Christmas Gift Guide

Looking for gifts for book lovers this Christmas? Our guide to Golding’s incredibly diverse books will help you find a gift to suit any tastes!

For readers of historical fiction: The Spire

Golding transports us back to medieval England, where Dean Jocelin has a vision: an enormous spire. But the cathedral has no foundations, and as the spire rises, Jocelin’s vision threatens to destroy those around him. The Spire is a story of obsession, betrayal and arrogance.

 

For readers of dystopian classics: Lord of the Flies

The only survivors of a plane crash: a group of boys escaping nuclear war. As they attempt to build a society on an idyllic desert island, their games become increasingly darker, until the struggle for power reaches an unbearable climax. Lord of the Flies is an unmissable classic.

 

 

 

 

For readers of myth: The Double Tongue

Arieka is chosen to become a Pythia at Delphi, uttering prophecies in the name of Apollo. Amidst a backdrop of war between the Romans and the Greeks, Arieka must navigate conspiracy and threat. The Double Tongue, Golding’s final novel, is a must-read for fans of mythic fiction.

 

 

 

 

 

For readers of survival fiction: Pincher Martin

Drowning in the North Atlantic, Christoper ‘Pincher’ Martin locates an isolated rock. He must eat limpets and anemones, and drink from pools of rain water. But his real battle for survival has only just begun. Pincher Martin is as devastating as it is shocking.

 

 

 

 

 

For readers of nautical adventure: Rites of Passage

Edmund Talbot is sailing to Australia in the early nineteenth century. In his journal, he records the tensions and passions of the passengers with wit and disdain. One passenger in particular, Reverend Colley, is a target on the ship, culminating in an act of deadly shame. Rites of Passage won the Booker Prize in 1980.

 

 

 

 

For readers when you’re not sure of their favourite genre: The Inheritors

The Inheritors was Golding’s favourite of all his novels, and for that reason, should suit any reader! This is the devastating story of the Neanderthal people, battling to survive against mysterious new threats. The characters are unique and instantly lovable, and the world is convincing. An eye-opening novel.